Chapter 4
Three years had passed, and Sakura and I had been doing exceptionally well with our magic skills. Things had also changed. There had been more crimes than we had imagined. Yukatoshi hadn't been the same since the death of my mother. It seemed as if an evil dark shadow swept over the kingdom, and the people became possessed. Father didn't seem so happy either, until recently. I wonder why.
"Aya, it's time for tea!" Sakura called from the distance, as I stood looking through the palace gates at the once beautiful valley.
I followed Sakura to the tea room, and there Father was sitting at the mahogany knee-high table, looking happier than ever. The servants placed four cups of tea onto the table. Sakura and I exchanged confused looks. Why had the servants placed four cups instead of three? Sakura and I sat next to each other.
"Who's the extra cup of tea for, Father?" I asked.
Excited, Father said, "I'm glad you asked that, because I have a surprise for you. Katana!"
"Katana?" Sakura and I said at once.
A tall slender woman stepped into the room. She had long black hair with some of it in a round bun. She wore a royal blue kimono with a touch of magenta on the collar, the ends of the sleeves, the obi, and on the bottom of the kimono. There was something about her that made me uncomfortable. When I looked into her eyes, a chill ran down my spine.
"Hello girls," Katana said with a grin.
"Katana, I'd like you to meet my daughters, Aya and Sakura," Father said pointing at the two of us.
"Why it's a pleasure to meet you girls. Your father has told me so much about you two," said Katana, as she sat next to Father.
"Girls," Father said as he stared at Sakura and me, "Katana and I are getting married."
Furious I yelled, "What?!"
Looking at me Father said, "Aya, calm down."
"You," I said with my finger pointing at Katana, "will never be my mother! You are nothing but an imbecile!" I then left the table and ran to my room.
"Aya!" called Father, as he was about to get up.
"No, Father," Sakura said with a calm voice, "I'll handle this." Sakura removed herself from the table and ran after me.
I leaped onto my bed with tears trickling down my cheeks. As I looked outside, rain began to fall from the gray sky. The raindrops pattered against the window pane. I leaned against my window sill looking out.
"Why me?" I said crying harder than ever.
In a calm voice standing behind me, Sakura said, "Aya." She then gave me a hug, as tears raced down her cheeks.
"Sakura," I whispered, "I don't want to hurt any more."
"I know Aya. I know. I don't want to hurt any more either."
"I'm going to go see Madame Leu first thing in the morning, because I can't deal with this any more. I want to find out who killed mother now."
"Me too," said Sakura, "That's why I'm going with you."
That following morning, when the rain had stopped, Sakura and I left for Madame Leu's. When we arrived at her house we quickly knocked on the door. When no one answered the door on the third knock, Sakura and I began to worry. Just then, a townsman came up to us.
"Are you two Aya and Sakura?" asked the townsman.
"Yes," I replied.
"Madame Leu told me to give you this note," he said as he handed it to me, "Madame Leu passed away just yesterday. She was very ill. She wrote this note just before she died. I'm sorry I had to bring up such terrible news."
Tears began to swell up in my eyes as the man walked away. I looked at Sakura and noticed that she, too, was crying. I clung to Sakura as tears fell from my eyes like a waterfall. I then opened the note and began to read it. The note read: My time has come and now it is time for you to begin your journey. I may be gone from this earth, but I will help guide you on your path, and I will
always be with you in your heart and soul forever.
I folded the note back up as tears continued to fall down my cheeks. I looked at Sakura with an are-you-ready look, and she responded back with a let's-do-it look. It was then that we finally began our long journey-a journey in which we would one day find our mother's killer.
Three years had passed, and Sakura and I had been doing exceptionally well with our magic skills. Things had also changed. There had been more crimes than we had imagined. Yukatoshi hadn't been the same since the death of my mother. It seemed as if an evil dark shadow swept over the kingdom, and the people became possessed. Father didn't seem so happy either, until recently. I wonder why.
"Aya, it's time for tea!" Sakura called from the distance, as I stood looking through the palace gates at the once beautiful valley.
I followed Sakura to the tea room, and there Father was sitting at the mahogany knee-high table, looking happier than ever. The servants placed four cups of tea onto the table. Sakura and I exchanged confused looks. Why had the servants placed four cups instead of three? Sakura and I sat next to each other.
"Who's the extra cup of tea for, Father?" I asked.
Excited, Father said, "I'm glad you asked that, because I have a surprise for you. Katana!"
"Katana?" Sakura and I said at once.
A tall slender woman stepped into the room. She had long black hair with some of it in a round bun. She wore a royal blue kimono with a touch of magenta on the collar, the ends of the sleeves, the obi, and on the bottom of the kimono. There was something about her that made me uncomfortable. When I looked into her eyes, a chill ran down my spine.
"Hello girls," Katana said with a grin.
"Katana, I'd like you to meet my daughters, Aya and Sakura," Father said pointing at the two of us.
"Why it's a pleasure to meet you girls. Your father has told me so much about you two," said Katana, as she sat next to Father.
"Girls," Father said as he stared at Sakura and me, "Katana and I are getting married."
Furious I yelled, "What?!"
Looking at me Father said, "Aya, calm down."
"You," I said with my finger pointing at Katana, "will never be my mother! You are nothing but an imbecile!" I then left the table and ran to my room.
"Aya!" called Father, as he was about to get up.
"No, Father," Sakura said with a calm voice, "I'll handle this." Sakura removed herself from the table and ran after me.
I leaped onto my bed with tears trickling down my cheeks. As I looked outside, rain began to fall from the gray sky. The raindrops pattered against the window pane. I leaned against my window sill looking out.
"Why me?" I said crying harder than ever.
In a calm voice standing behind me, Sakura said, "Aya." She then gave me a hug, as tears raced down her cheeks.
"Sakura," I whispered, "I don't want to hurt any more."
"I know Aya. I know. I don't want to hurt any more either."
"I'm going to go see Madame Leu first thing in the morning, because I can't deal with this any more. I want to find out who killed mother now."
"Me too," said Sakura, "That's why I'm going with you."
That following morning, when the rain had stopped, Sakura and I left for Madame Leu's. When we arrived at her house we quickly knocked on the door. When no one answered the door on the third knock, Sakura and I began to worry. Just then, a townsman came up to us.
"Are you two Aya and Sakura?" asked the townsman.
"Yes," I replied.
"Madame Leu told me to give you this note," he said as he handed it to me, "Madame Leu passed away just yesterday. She was very ill. She wrote this note just before she died. I'm sorry I had to bring up such terrible news."
Tears began to swell up in my eyes as the man walked away. I looked at Sakura and noticed that she, too, was crying. I clung to Sakura as tears fell from my eyes like a waterfall. I then opened the note and began to read it. The note read: My time has come and now it is time for you to begin your journey. I may be gone from this earth, but I will help guide you on your path, and I will
always be with you in your heart and soul forever.
I folded the note back up as tears continued to fall down my cheeks. I looked at Sakura with an are-you-ready look, and she responded back with a let's-do-it look. It was then that we finally began our long journey-a journey in which we would one day find our mother's killer.